Game 40: Mavs at Clippers

J.J. Redick has 23 points in the first half as the Clippers hold a 72-62 halftime advantage over the Mavericks.

LOS ANGELES — Winning five of their previous six road games and riding a three-game winning streak overall, the Dallas Mavericks stepped into Staples Center with revenge on their minds.

Seeking payback after falling to a 119-112 home defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 3, the Mavericks looked to take advantage of All-Star point guard Chris Paul’s absence as he continues to rehab from a separated right shoulder. Meanwhile, the Mavs welcomed back their top perimeter defender and leading rebounder as four-time All-Star Shawn Marion returned to the lineup after missing four games due to a right shoulder contusion and bruised upper ribs.

But, after allowing the Clippers to finish the first meeting with a 16-2 run to steal the win in Dallas, the Mavs would again suffer a late-game collapse. And after leading by 17 with 4:48 remaining, the Mavericks (23-17) would fall to a 129-127 defeat as the Clippers (27-13) finished the night on a 23-4 run.

With Marion back in the starting lineup and ex-Mav Darren Collison continuing to start in place of Paul, both teams would come out of the gates quickly. The ball then continued to swing 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki’s way, and the 7-footer gladly obliged with an array of perimeter shots.

However, with J.J. Redick off to a fast start and scoring 11 points in the opening period, it took a 14-4 close to the quarter by the Mavs to overcome an eight-point deficit before taking a 32-30 lead into the second stanza.

With both teams placing matters the hands of their reserves, the game would turn into a seesaw affair in the second period. Sharpshooter Wayne Ellington also picked up where left off Monday against Orlando when he scored a season-high 12 points, draining back-to-back triples from behind the arc to give the visiting Dallas team a 42-40 edge.

The starters soon returned as center Samuel Dalembert began to assert himself inside, capitalizing off 2-guard Monta Ellis’ playmaking in the lane. But Redick would continue to stroke the hot hand while lifting the L.A. team to a double-digit advantage. And after Redick exploded for 23 first-half points, the Clippers took a 72-62 advantage into the break while scoring the most the Dallas defense has allowed in a half this season.

Led by Redick’s 8-of-11 shooting and 6 of 8 from 3-point range, the Clippers scorched the net in the first 24 minutes of play while outshooting the Mavs, 55.6 percent to 50 percent. Meanwhile, the Mavs held a 26-20 rebounding edge at the midway mark but had no answer for the Clippers’ 10-of-18 shooting from behind the arc.

With Nowitzki back on the attack, the Mavericks looked to make a stand coming of out the visitors’ locker room. Dalembert and starting point guard Jose Calderon then lent Nowitzki some helping hands as the Mavs inched closer.

But, after the Mavericks came within a single point, the Clippers regained the momentum with their deadly outside shooting. And after back-to-back treys by Matt Barnes put the home team up nine, the Mavs’ 7-0 spurt to end the third made the score 100-98 in the Clippers’ favor entering the final quarter.

Getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Ellis and Calderon to grab the lead as the fourth period got underway, the Mavericks capped off their run from the end of the previous quarter as Nowitzki connected on two free throws.

The Dallas defense began to answer the call from there, stringing together stops to keep the Clippers at bay. The ball then swung Marion’s way on offense, giving the Mavs a 116-106 advantage on a corner 3-pointer. And after backup big man Brandan Wright put the finishing touches on a 32-6 Dallas run to lead by as much as 17, the Mavs tried to hold on down the stretch.

But the Clippers would continue firing away while coming back into the game behind their 3-point shooting. Jamal Crawford then baited Nowitzki into a foul on a shot from behind the arc, hitting 2-of-3 foul shots with 1:10 on the clock to trim the Mavs’ lead to 127-123.

The Clippers’ charge back didn’t end there, however, climbing within one on Redick’s seventh 3-pointer of the night with 34.0 seconds remaining. And after Nowitzki failed to extend the lead on a mid-range jumper, the Clippers called timeout with 20.4 on the clock to win the game.

The ball would go back to Crawford, who would successfully connect on two free throws after forcing a foul on Marion with 11.2 seconds still on the game clock to put the Clippers up one. The Mavs went to Calderon for an answer, but his shot would come up short, ending up in the hands of DeAndre Jordan before sixth man Vince Carter’s foul to send the big man to the line. Jordan then hit one of two shots at the foul line, leading to a Dallas turnover by DeJuan Blair in the final seconds to secure the win for the Clippers.

Finishing with a team-high 27 points on 8-of-22 shooting, Nowitzki led six Mavericks in double figures. Dalembert added a season-high 20 points, while Calderon finished with 16 points in the first unit. Marion returned to score 14 points and Ellis dished out a season-high 13 points, matching Wright’s 13 points off the bench as well.

Redick led six Clippers in double figures with a career-high 33 points on 10-of-14 shooting, hitting seven of his nine shots from behind the arc. The Mavs also finished the night outshooting the Clippers, 52.6 percent to 50.6 percent, in addition to a 47-38 rebounding advantage in the loss.

Note: The Mavericks will now conclude their two-game road trip on Phoenix, taking on the Suns Friday night in the first outing of a back-to-back. The Suns lead the season series 1-0 after handing the Mavs a 123-108 road loss win back on Dec. 21. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 p.m. CT.

The Mavs return to American Airlines Center on Saturday while completing a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas leads the season series 1-0 after a 108-106 win in Portland on Dec. 7. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS (6287) or by visiting Mavs.com.

Mavs F Shawn Marion says he plans to play Wednesday night against the Clippers, talks about how anxious he is to get Devin Harris back and more.

LOS ANGELES — After allowing the Los Angles Clippers’ two big bodies in the middle to dominate the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the month, the Dallas Mavericks will try to contain power forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan as the squads collide for a second time Wednesday night.

Falling to a 119-112 defeat at home back on Jan. 3, the Dallas defense was tormented inside as Griffin and Jordan combined to score 50 points while snatching down 33 rebounds. And with the two big men scoring 10 in the midst of L.A.’s 16-2 game-closing run to overcome a 110-103 deficit without the injured Chris Paul (separated right shoulder) in the final four minutes, the Mavericks (23-16) know they will now have to do a better job accounting for Griffin and Jordan in order to extend Dallas’ winning streak to four.

“We’ve got to keep them off the launching pad for lobs, and that’s an ongoing challenge,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle candidly said of trying to slow down the Clippers’ high-octane attack.

He added: “You can help yourself a lot if you keep turnovers down, because transition is where a lot of that craziness happens. We have to take care of the ball, and then in the post we just have to do a better job. I mean, they went right through us last game and got two or three and-ones, and we’ve got to take those away.”

The Mavs did a poor job off taking care of the ball in the first meeting, allowing 18 points off 12 turnovers in the loss. And despite outshooting the Clippers (26-13), 51.1 percent to 48.8 percent, the Dallas team also found itself on the downside of a 46-39 rebounding margin.

That can’t be the case Wednesday night, according to 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, if the Mavs hope to take advantage of Paul’s absence.

“They were great on the boards,” Nowitzki said while looking back to the first matchup against the Clippers. “Blake and DeAndre were great. They both had 25 (points) each and a bunch of offensive rebounds, so we’ve got to hold our own in the paint. Against this team you can’t really turn the ball over, ’cause it’s a layup on the other end within two seconds. With Chris Paul out, you’ve got to do a decent job on [Jamal] Crawford, who’s a great shot maker. I mean, they’re a good team. They’re still a good team without Chris Paul, and we’ve got our hands full.”

Note: The Mavericks hit the road for a two-game trip, touching down in Los Angeles for Wednesday’s matchup against the Clippers. The Clippers lead the season series 1-0 after a 119-112 win in Dallas on Jan. 3. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The Mavs return to American Airlines Center on Saturday while completing a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas leads the season series 1-0 after a 108-106 win in Portland on Dec. 7. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS (6287) or by visiting Mavs.com.

Practice Report: Rick Carlisle

Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle says Devin Harris is still a few games away from being ready, talks about how important the next couple of games are, Shawn Marion's health and more.

LOS ANGELES — Despite failing to take advantage of an injury to All-Star point guard Chris Paul the last time they faced the Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks enter Wednesday’s matchup between the two teams with plenty of confidence.

Riding a three-game winning streak as they begin a two-game road trip, the Mavericks (23-16) will attempt to avenge a 119-112 defeat at the hands of the Clippers (26-13) in Dallas back on Jan. 3, when Paul exited early in the third quarter with a separated right shoulder. In order to get even with the Clippers before also seeking revenge on the Phoenix Suns, however, the Mavs admit that they will have to be the aggressors against a well-rested L.A. team that has won five of six overall and is 17-3 this season at home.

“I think the biggest thing is we’ve played these two teams, we’ve lost to them, and we figure we should have won those two games,” starting shooting guard Monta Ellis said of the Mavs’ road trip. “I think our mindset is different headed into this game. We’re on a three-game winning streak, and hopefully we continue with it.”

“We’ve won three games and they’re important wins for us. We’ve just got to keep our edge. That’s the big thing,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle added. “This is a tough trip. We’re playing two of the really good teams in the conference and they’re direct competitors, so we’re going to really have to be on. But the most important thing is we’ve got to keep our edge.”

After surging seven games over .500 for the first time since the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, the Mavs will now try to win four in a row for the first time since Nov. 16-22. However, the Clippers figure to be armed and ready after awaiting the Mavericks’ arrival since routing the Lakers with Friday’s 123-87 victory.

Without Paul for most of the second half in the first meeting, the Clippers claimed the win despite being outshot by the Mavs, 51.1 percent to 48.8 percent. L.A. also used a 46-39 rebounding margin and 18 points off Dallas’ 12 turnovers to sprint to the victory, allowing just six points off 10 giveaways at the other end of the floor.

But this time around the Mavericks hope to make the proper adjustments on the road. And with four-time All-Star Shawn Marion expected to return from a four-game absence due to bruised upper ribs and a right shoulder contusion, the Mavs could receive just the boost they need against the Clippers’ high-octane attack.

Note: The Mavericks will now hit the road for a two-game trip, touching down in Los Angeles for Wednesday’s matchup against the Clippers. The Clippers lead the season series 1-0 after a 119-112 win in Dallas on Jan. 3. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The Mavs return to American Airlines Center on Saturday while completing a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas leads the season series 1-0 after a 108-106 win in Portland on Dec. 7. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS (6287) or by visiting Mavs.com.